Direction of turn signal device



y 0, 1940. J. l. LEVINE 2,209,780

DIRECTION OF TURN SIGNAL DEVICE Filed Feb. 11, 1938 l I i i Patented July 30,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,209,130 DIRECTION or rmm SIGNAL havros James I. Levine, Chicago, Ill.

Application February 11,- 1938, Serial No.189,975

' 2 Claims. (Cl. 200-59) This invention relates to direction of turnsignals for automotive vehicles such as trucks and the like.

I am aware of the fact that heretofore in the art various direction of turn signal devices for signals in the high voltage or secondary side ofthe circuits embodied in such devices and this practice has been the source of much trouble in 20 theuse of such devices, and has prevented their general'adoption, particularly by reason of the fact that the arrangement of the so-called neon or luminous tube signals in the high voltage or secondary side of such circuits has been the cause 25 of arcing and consequent burning out of the wires, thus destroying the device and its utility. Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a direction of turn signal device which is especially adapted for use on automotive 30 vehicles, and especially trucks, .and which overcomes arcing and the other difliculties which I have been experienced in the use 'of the prior art devices.

Another object of the present invention is to 35 provide a new and improved direction of turn signal device which is especially adapted for use on automotive vehicle trucks and which is so designed and constructed that when the device is in position of use on a truck the signals may be 40 seen from any and all directions.

An additional object of the invention is to provide in, and as a part of the new device, a new and improved switch and switch-operating mechanism which is intended for association with,

5 and for operation by, the steering wheel of atruck or like automotive vehicle.

Other objects willappear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter 50 described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawing showing the thereon and showing the location or position of the signals and certain other parts of the device I relative to the front and rear ends of the truck;

Fig. 2 is a rear elevational view of the truck shown in Fig. 1 and illustrating the position of 5 the signals and certain other parts of the device thereon, relative to the sides of the truck;

Fig. .3 is a side elevational view of a preferred form of the signals and certain other parts of the new device and which are shown in position of useinFigs.1and2;

Fig.4 is an end elevational view of those parts of the device which are shown in Fig. 3; 1

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary top plan view .of the steering wheel of a truck and showing certain parts of the switch and switch-operating mechanism of the present invention associated there-- with; 1

Fig. 61s a top plan view of certain parts of, the v switch and switch-operating mechanism which 0 are embodied in the-present invention;

Fig. 7 is a view on line in Fig. 6, partly in section and partly in elevation, showing parts of the latching mechanism for the switch-operating arm; I

Fig. 8 is a transverse sectional detail view on line H in Fig; 5, and showing one of the trips or releases for the latchingmechanism of the switch-operating arm; and

Fig. 9 is a schematic view or wiring diagram of the electrical circuit which is embodied in the present invention.

A preferred form of the new direction of turn signal 'device is shown in the drawing,'and is therein shown as being associated with a truck or similar automotive vehicle l0, and comprises a housing II which is preferably, but not necessarily, mounted on the top of the truck midway between the. sides and the front and rear ends thereof, for a reason which will appear herein- 40 after.

Mounted on the housing I I, and projecting upwardly therefrom at the ends thereof, and attached thereto in any suitable manner, are supporting arms l2 and I3. and also mounted on the housing ll, approximately midway between the ends thereof, is a support I4, and extending over the housing II, and carried by the supports I I2, l3 and I4 is a plate or shield IS, the function of which will be described hereinafter. 5

Suspended above the housing 'I I, between the supports l2 and I4, and below the plate or shield I5, is a direction of turn signal in the form of a so-called neon or luminous tube I 6 having the shape of an arrow indicating a right turn, and a similar, but oppositely directed, or left turn signal I1 is arranged between the uprights l3 and I4, these signal tubes being attached to and insulated from the supports l2-l4 and l3l4 by means of rubber or other suitable insulating attaching elements l8.

The right and left turn signal devices or tubes l6 and II, respectively, are arranged in the high voltage or secondary side of an electrical circuit which is illustrated diagrammatically in Fig. 9, and is thereingenerally'indicated at l3; said circuit being arranged in the housing II.

The circuit l9 includes a primary or low voltage side which is connected to a suitable source of low voltage current such as a 6V. battery 2! of the truck or other vehicle Ill, and arranged in this primary or,low voltage side 20 of the circuit I3 is a manually operable control switch which is generally indicated at 22 and which may be of any desired and suitable construction, although'it is preferably of the construction which is shown in Figs. 5, 6, 7 and 8,

and which will be referred to hereinafter; said switch being shown as being associated with the steering wheel 48 of the vehicle or truck G0.

The circuit l9 also includes a vibrator 23, of conventional design, which is arranged therein in the manner illustrated in Fig. 9,-the vibrator 23 being illustrated as being connected to the primary side or low voltage windings 26 of the stepup transformers 25, which, in turn, are electrically connected to the direction of turnsignals l3 and II; the primary windings of these transformers 25 being electrically connected to oppo-.

site sides of fixed or stationary contacts 34 and 4.5 of the switch 22 and between and selectively engageable with which the movable element 21 is arranged. a The movable element 21 of the switch 22 is pivotally mounted, as at'28, in a housing 29 which may be attached to, or mounted on, the steering column 30 of the vehicle |0,'in any suitable manner, and the manually operable switch arm 21 is held in its normal or ineffective position as 2t A, Fig. 6, by means of springs 46 and 31 (Fig.

'I'he'operating mechanism for the switch 22 includes a pair of spring-urged latch-members 33, each of which is pivotally mounted, between its ends, as at 34, in the housing 29 (Fig. 7), each of these latch members 33 having a finger grip or trip portion 35 which is adapted to project, when the latch member is in unlatched or ineifective position, through an opening 36 which is formed in the wall of the housing 23. Each end portion 32'43 and the notched or latching endportion 32-33 of each of these latch members 33 is normally urged into effective, or latching position (as in full lines-Fig. 7), by means of a fiat leaf. spring 49, these springs 49 being mounted in the housing 23 and on the wall of the same. l

Mounted, one on each of two spokes 31 of the steering wheel 48 which are spaced 180 apart, and by means of suitable brackets or clips 33, are two latch-releasing trip members 39, each of which is pivotally mounted between its ends, as at 40, on an extension 42 of the corresponding bracket 38, each of these trip members 39 being movable ,in only one direction (counterlockwise, in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 8), and being prevented from movement in the opposite direction by engagement of a stop portion 4! thereof with the extension or arm 42 of the" corresponding bracket 38, for reasons to be explainedv hereinafter. j

' Operation In the use of the new direction of turn signal device the same is mounted in position of use,

as shown, and the circuit-closing member or.

switch arm 21 is normally held midway between the fixed contact 35 and 46 of the switch 22, by means of the springs 46 and 41, thus keeping the primary or low voltage side 20 of the circuit I!) normally open.

Accordingly, if the driver of the vehicle on which the new device of turn. signal device is mounted intends to make, for example, 'a right turn he then manually moves the circuit closing member or switch arm 21 (counterclockwise, Fig. 6) into position, and into engagement with the fixed or stationary contact 45, thereby closing the primary or low voltage side 20, of the circuit Hi, to the right turn indicating signal or arrow l6, whereupon a high voltage, high frequency, alternating current will be caused, by the vibrator 23, and the corresponding or right hand transformer 25, to flow through the so-called neon or luminous tube It, thus indicating that the driver intends to'make a right turn, and the switch arm -or circuit-closingmember 21 will, of course, be

moved in the opposite direction if the driver intends to make a left turn, thereby illuminating the so-called neon or luminous tube arrow l1.

It will be noted that when the switch arm or circuit-closing member 21 is moved into position to close circuit to either one or the other of the signal tubes 83 and I1, and thus indicate either a right or a left turn, it rides over or cams against the edge of the corresponding latch member 33, the said latch member being urged into engagement with the switch arm or circuit-closing member 21 by the corresponding fiat leaf spring 49, thereby causing the said latch member 33 to pivot, at 34 (clockwise, into the position in which it is shown in Fig. 7) This movement of the latch member 33 causes the upper end portion 35 of the same to project through the corresponding opening 33 in the wall 29 of the housing 22 and at the same time engages the notched portion 43 thereof with the switch arm 21', .thus latchingly engaging the switch arm or circuitclosing member 21 in the notched end portion 33 of the latch-member 33. At this time the flat spring contact 44! or 45 (Fig. '7) which is engaged by the switch arm 21 functions not only as a contact butalso as a spring to urge the switch arm 21 into the notched portion 43 of the corresponding latch member 33. Hence the said switch arm or circuit-closing member 21 is held in circuit-closing position and against movement, that is, against return to its initial position until the driver completes the right turn, which he is assumed-to .be making in this example, brings the vehicle back into forward position, during which operation one of the trip members 39 engages the upwardly projecting head or cam portion 35 of the corresponding latch member 33, and rides over the same, thereby depressing the said latch member 33. The tensioned spring 46 will thereupon, return the switch arm 21 to its initial position, (as at A, Fig. 6), and during this return movement of the switch arm or circuitclosing member 21 the same again rides over or cams against the edge 32 of the latch member 1 the housing 22, while at the same time tensioning the corresponding spring 49,.

It will also be noted, in this connection, however, by reference to the drawing, that the latchreleasing trip arms 39 are capable of movement in only one direction, that is, counterclockwise, as seen in Fig. 8, so that when the steering wheel 48 is being moved to complete a right turn, as in the foregoing example, the lower end portion of the corresponding latch-releasing member or trip 39 will engage the upwardly projecting end or cam portion 35 of the corresponding latch member 33, thereby pivoting the said latchreleasing trip member 39, at 40 (counterclockwise, Fig. 8), and thus allowing the said trip or latchreleasing trip member 39 to pass over the upwardly projecting end or cam portion 35 of the latch member, 33 during the operation of making the turn. However, as stated above, during the return movement of the wheel, that is, into straight ahead or forward position, after making the turn referred to in the foregoing example, the trip or latch-releasing member 39 will engage the upwardly projecting head 35 of the corresponding latch member and thus return'the latter back into its normal or ineffective position, in the manner described above.

It will also be noted, in connection with the present invention, that the control switch 22 is arranged in the primary or low voltage side of the circuit 20, rather than in the'high voltage or secondary side of the circuit, as has been the customary practice heretofore in the prior art devices, and that there are no breaks or interruptions of any kind in the high voltage or secondary side of the circuit, and hence the difilculty which has, heretofore, been experienced in the use of the prior art devices which have employed so-called neon or luminous tubes, namely, arcing in the high voltage side of the circuit, and consequent burning out and destruction of the wires, etc., is eliminated and overcome.

I It will further be noted, by reference to the drawing, that the present apparatus provides a direction of turn signal, or rather, a pair of such signals, which may be readily seen, when mounted in the position of use which is shown in Figs. 1 and 2, from either the front or rear of the vehicle, as well as from either or both sides thereof, by reason of the fact that the socalled neon or luminous signals l6|1 are 'exposed to an unobstructed view between the housing II and the wall l5 which acts as shield to prevent light from dimming or obscuring the signals l6ll as, for example, by snow, when the vehicle on which the new device is used is passing through vehicular tunnels, under bridges, etc., or through other places in which there is overhead illumination.

It will likewise be noted, from the foregoing description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, that the present invention is positive and fool-proof inoperation, in that, once the switch arm or circuit-closing member 21 is moved into position to close the switch 22 it remains closed and is latched against movement, and the corresponding signal I 16 or I! remains illuminated, until the driver has completed the turn and the vehicle has again resumed a straight ahead position, thus preventoperation of the wheel and having a wall extend- It will thus be seen/from the foregoing description, taken in conjunction with the drawing, that the present invention accomplishes its intended objects,which have been recited, hereinbefore, and overcomes those difficulties here- .tofore experienced in the use of the prior art such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a control switch for a direction turn signal device for automotive vehicles, a trip member adapted to be secured to the steering wheel of the vehicle and movable therewith, a housing positioned below the plane of operation of the wheel and having a wall extending substantially parallel to and spaced from said plane, there being a pair of apertures insaid wall, a pair of latch members each having a trip portion and each being pivoted in the housing for tilting movement from a position wherein the trip portion thereof is retracted within the housing to a position wherein the trip portion is projected through one of the openings and into the path of movement of the trip member, a switch arm pivoted within the housing and projecting therefrom and cooperating with the latch members, a signal switch operatively connected to the switch arm, and means normally urging said switch arm to a position wherein it is disengaged by said latch members to positions wherein it is releasably engaged and held by the latch members in respective positions, said trip member being adapted upon turning of the wheel to engage the projecting trip portions of said latch members to retract the same.

2. In a control switch for a direction turn signal device for automotive vehicles, a pair of trip members adapted to be secured to the steering wheel of the vehicle and movable therewith, a housing positioned below the plane of and projecting therefrom and cooperating with the latch members, a signal switch operatively connected to the switch arm, and means normally urging said switch arm to a position wherein it is disengaged by said latch members to positions wherein it is releasably engaged and held by the latch members in respective positions, said trip members each including a pivoted pawl adapted to ride over the trip portion of the latch members in one direction and to operatively engage and retract the same in the other direction.

JAMES I. LEVINE. 

